◀- Deuteronomy 19
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The Cities of Refuge
(1) "When the LORD your God has cut off the nations, whose land the LORD your God gives you, and you drive them out, and dwell in their cities, and in their houses;
(2) you shall separate three cities for yourself in the midst of your land, which the LORD your God gives you to possess it.
(3) You shall prepare yourself a way, and divide the borders of your land, which the LORD your God gives you to inherit, into three parts, that every slayer may flee there.
Protection for the Manslayer
(4) And this is the case of the slayer, who shall flee there, that he may live. Whoever kills his neighbor by ignorance, whom he did not hate in time past;
(5) As when a man goes into the woods with his neighbor to cut wood, and his hand swings the axe to cut down the tree, and the head slips from the handle, and hits his neighbor, so that he dies; he shall flee to one of those cities, and live.
6 Lest the avenger of the blood pursue the slayer, while his heart is hot, and overtake him, because the way is long, and slay him; whereas he was not worthy of death, inasmuch as he hated him not in time past.
7 Wherefore I command thee, saying, Thou shalt separate three cities for thee.
8 And if the LORD thy God enlarge thy coast, as he hath sworn unto thy fathers, and give thee all the land which he promised to give unto thy fathers;
9 If thou shalt keep all these commandments to do them, which I command thee this day, to love the LORD thy God, and to walk ever in his ways; then shalt thou add three cities more for thee, beside these three:
10 That innocent blood be not shed in thy land, which the LORD thy God giveth thee for an inheritance, and so blood be upon thee.
11 But if any man hate his neighbour, and lie in wait for him, and rise up against him, and smite him mortally that he die, and fleeth into one of these cities:
12 Then the elders of his city shall send and fetch him thence, and deliver him into the hand of the avenger of blood, that he may die.
13 Thine eye shall not pity him, but thou shalt put away the guilt of innocent blood from Israel, that it may go well with thee.
Neighbour’s Landmark Not to be Removed
14 Thou shalt not remove thy neighbour’s landmark, which they of old time have set in thine inheritance, which thou shalt inherit in the land that the LORD thy God giveth thee to possess it.
At Least Two Witnesses Required
15 One witness shall not rise up against a man for any iniquity, or for any sin, in any sin that he sinneth: at the mouth of two witnesses, or at the mouth of three witnesses, shall the matter be established.
16 If a false witness rise up against any man to testify against him that which is wrong;
17 Then both the men, between whom the controversy is, shall stand before the LORD, before the priests and the judges, which shall be in those days;
18 And the judges shall make diligent inquisition: and, behold, if the witness be a false witness, and hath testified falsely against his brother;
19 Then shall ye do unto him, as he had thought to have done unto his brother: so shalt thou put the evil away from among YOU.
20 And those which remain shall hear, and fear, and shall henceforth commit no more any such evil among YOU.
21 And thine eye shall not pity; but life shall go for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot.